Alerts

The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs, Inc. has changed its filing fees effective January 1, 2020.

After a year plus of waiting on pins and needles, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed controls on its first “emerging technology” – software specially designed to automate the analysis of geospatial imagery.

As federal tax incentives for wind and solar energy projects set to expire this year, project costs will increase, which is sure to impact the renewable energy market in 2020.

Last week, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued two field assistance bulletins, FAB 2020-7 and FAB 2020-8, aimed at supporting the US workforce during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what you need to know about each.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — long used in consumer and industrial products — have recently been in the news and the subject of increased regulatory attention, resulting in proposed and implemented regulation on both the state and federal level.

In a surprise holiday present, the State Department finally brought the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) into the 21st century by releasing an Interim Final Rule adopting cloud computing encryption standards that the Commerce Department adopted in 2015. Well, better late than never.

The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) launched tools in late November that will assist businesses with California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) compliance, by increasing consumer control over data on all DAA participating companies through simple tools.

The Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative is providing guidance for practitioners involved in group purchasing activities in our member organizations and any part of the acute or long term care system.

New bipartisan legislation has been introduced to Congress that would authorize US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to seize imported merchandise that infringes design patents at the US border.

An Atlanta-based entrepreneur contends that retailer Target intentionally infringed on her trademark GARNISH AND GATHER for a meal-delivery service through its adoption and use of the mark GOOD & GATHER on an in-store food brand.

Additional Fed Liquidity Infusions

In November, Google announced a plan to offer restricted data processing to ensure businesses can treat Google as a service provider under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Employees who allege they were underpaid on the basis of their sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, are not required to first establish an Equal Pay Act claim but rather need only prove that the employer discriminated with respect to compensation because of sex.

AT&T is facing another potential setback to its “5G Evolution” advertising campaign after the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau concluded that AT&T’s “5G E” claims are misleading to consumers. AT&T intends to appeal the NAD’s decision.

On December 19, 2019, EPA granted the first approvals for the use of crop protection products—nine biopesticides and one conventional pesticide—on hemp, providing a new set of crop protection tools for hemp farmers in time for the 2020 growing season. 

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

The $5 billion influencer industry is booming with an endless stream of fresh, aesthetically pleasing, and seemingly authentic figures.

Following the trend that began in New York and California, Illinois’ own #MeToo-inspired legislation, called the Workplace Transparency Act (WTA), applies to all Illinois employers[1] and takes effect on January 1, 2020.

Questioning your own witness while defending a deposition is a rare practice. A recent decision out of California’s Second Appellate District will require attorneys to consider doing so more often, especially in repeat cases involving warranty issues or toxic torts.

ABA Formal Opinion 477 sets new guidelines for securing communication of protected client information. These standards are important for all lawyers – whether in-house or at a law firm, deal-maker or litigator – to know.

Nike’s recent slogan, “Sport Changes Everything,” was blocked by a North Carolina federal judge, who concluded the phrase infringed upon Fleet Feet Inc.’s existing trademarks “Running Changes Everything” and “Change Everything,” which the brand uses to promote running products and events.

Not to be outdone by the recent USMCA breakthrough, there have been significant end-of-the-year developments on the Section 301 tariff front. US importers should take stock as they wrap up activities for 2019 and continue planning for 2020.

In FIRRMA and ECRA, Congress essentially gave Commerce authority to decide how narrowly or widely to set the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) over non-passive minority investments involving emerging and foundational technologies.

Most Illinois employers are already aware of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (Cannabis Act) which, among other things, legalizes recreational use of marijuana in Illinois effective January 1, 2020.

Prop 65 Counsel: What to Know